This invention relates to a solid-state device which performs various optical functions, such as forming, displaying and printing an image.
Heretofore, various display devices for displaying data, imaging devices for imaging data and hard copy devices for copying or printing data have been in practical use.
A liquid crystal display panel with amorphous silicon thin film transistors fabricated on a glass substrate is disclosed in Y. Okubo et al., "Large-Scale LCDs Addressed by a-Si TFT Array", SID 82 Digest pp 40-41, 1982. This display panel has only a display function. Also, a contact-type linear sensor using amorphous silicon diode array fabricated on a glass substrate is disclosed in K. Ozawa et al., "Contact type Linear Sensor Using Amorphous Si Diode Array", the 14th Conf. on Solid State Device, Digest of Tech. Papers, pp 125-126, 1982. This sensor has only imaging function and does not have any display function. That is, no device which has a plurality of different functions has yet been in practical use.
Electronic mails, for instance, require a device, which can temporalily store all data transferred, display these data when required and permit printing of only desired data as hard copy. The device as described is demanded to alleviate the burden on the copying sheet that would be very significant otherwise, i.e., in case when all transmitted data is automatically copied. Particularly, a single panel with which a plurality of functions as described, would be desired from the standpoints of size reduction, weight reduction and cost reduction.